BALTIMORE, MD—An Essex woman is moving up her retirement date after hitting a $5 million jackpot on a Maryland Lottery scratch-off ticket. The avid lottery player, who had planned to retire at the end of the summer, claimed her prize Tuesday at Maryland Lottery headquarters, accompanied by her daughter.
“The first thing I started doing was jumping up and down,” the winner said, recalling the moment she realized the magnitude of her win.
Initially, she hesitated to purchase the $50 “$5,000,000 Fortune” scratch-off. While bingo-themed tickets are usually her preference, she ultimately decided to try her luck with the higher-priced game.
Upon scratching the ticket, she first noticed an image of a stack of cash, which signifies an automatic win. She then scanned the ticket’s QR code at the store, initially believing she had won $50,000.
“I was thinking, ‘That’s good. I can do $50,000!’” she said. However, a second look revealed the true amount, prompting her to start jumping with excitement.
She immediately called her daughter and then her brother, who also began celebrating at his workplace. Overwhelmed, she momentarily found herself short of breath before her brother helped her calm down.
The winner plans to use her newfound wealth to purchase a house and Jeeps for herself and her daughter. She also intends to help other family members and make a contribution to her faith community. The majority of the winnings, however, will be invested, with plans to draw only on the income, following advice from her longtime employer.
The lucky ticket was purchased at the Back River Exxon gas station, located at 100 Back River Neck Road in Essex.
The $5 million win is the first top-tier prize claimed on the “$5,000,000 Fortune” game, leaving two more top prizes available. Additionally, six $100,000 prizes and eight $50,000 prizes remain unclaimed, along with numerous other prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000.
Photo via Pixabay
